“It’s hard to beat anybody when you’re playing five-on-eight,” Mavs small forward Shawn Marion said, a not-so-subtle reference to Durant’s 21 free throw attempts, all of which he made. “That’s nuts. Some of them were fouls. Some of them were questionable. But it is what it is.”

The Thunder attempted 36 free throws; the Mavericks attempted 30. Oklahoma City improved to 32-8 with the win; Dallas dropped to 17-24 with the loss.